THE ANCIENT TAOIST PRINCIPLE OF RECIPROCITY
IF YOU DO ME A FAVOR, I WILL RETURN A GREATER FAVOR TO YOU BUT IF YOU HURT ME, I WILL NOT OFFER THE OTHER CHEEK. IF YOU INSULT ME, I WILL PUNCH YOU; IF YOU PUNCH ME, I WILL BREAK YOUR ARM; IF YOU BREAK MY ARM, I WILL BREAK YOUR LEG; AND IF YOU BREAK MY LEG, I WILL PUT YOU IN A COFFIN

The Thirty-Two Heavens arising out from the Great Matrix (元纲 - Yuan Gang) are located in the four cardinal directions, with eight heavens per cardinal direction.

To these four directions can further be added Northeast, Southeast, Southwest and Northwest, as well as above and below. In addition to these Thirty-Two Heavens, there are also four other Heavens. All of these Heavens are distributed among the Eight Directions, as well as above and below, for a total of ten directions (十方世界).

List of the Thirty-Six Heavens Of Taoism

The Original Matrix of the Great Tao gave birth to Thirty-Two Heavens. These Heavens are subject to calamities , Live & Death and universal cycles (Kalpas); they therefore undergo birth and death. The other four Heavens are not subject to Kalpas: they include the Three Pure Heavens (三清界 - San Qing) , and the Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天 - Da Luo Tian). In total, there are Thirty-Six Heavens.

The above 6 Heavens belong to the Realms Of Desire (欲界) - Realms Of Secular Life(現世界 - Xian Shi Jie). In this Realm, there is visible form and desire, men and women have intercourse, and give birth to descendants.

The above 18 Heavens (虚无越衡天 - Xu Wu Yue Heng Heaven TO 无极昙誓天 - Wu Ji Tan Shi Heaven) belong to The Realms Of Form (色界 - Se Jie) - Realms Of Tai-Ji (太极界 - Tai Ji Jie). In this Realm there is form but no desire; there is no sexual intercourse and people are directly born out of Vital Breath.

The above 4 Heavens (皓庭霄度天 - Hao Ting Xiao Du Heaven TO 秀乐禁上天 - Xiu Le Jing Shang Heaven) belong to The Realms of Formlessness (无色界 - Wu Se Jie) - Realms Of Wu-Ji (无级界 - Tai Ji Jie) . In this Realm there is neither desire nor form; common people cannot see the people in this Realm, it can be seen only by Perfect Men, Immortals.

The Realms Of Desire, Realms Of Form and Realms Of Formlessness, are collectively known as The Three Realms (三界).

Thirty-five of the Thirty-Six Heavens are part of the Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天). The Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天) is infinite, while other heavens are all finite. It is the highest heaven, transcends all the other heavens, and has no limits. In space, the universe is infinite.

The Three Realms (三界) and outside

The Thirty-Six Heavens are divided intoThree Realms (三界). The Three Realms are the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of Formlessness.

Altogether 28 heavens are included in the Three Realms (三界) . They are subject to Calamities and Kalpas (Universal Cycles). Those who are born in or enter these heavens do not escape from Reincarnation and Karma.

Outside of the Three Realms are a further eight heavens. Those who Cultivate Dao and leap out of the Three Realms can escape from Kalpas, Karma, and Reincarnation.

The Three Realms are the Realm of Desire, the Realm of Form, and the Realm of Formlessness

The Realms of Desire contains Six Heavens, from the Tai Huang Huang Ceng Heaven (太皇黄曾天) to the Qi Yao Mo Yi Heaven (七曜摩夷天). In this Realm, there is visible form and desire, men and women have intercourse, and give birth to descendants.

The Realms of Form includes Eighteen Heavens, from the Xu Wu Yue Heng Heaven (虚无越衡天) to the Wu Ji Tan Shi Heaven (无极昙誓天). In this Realm there is form but no desire; there is no sexual intercourse and people are directly born out of Vital Breath.

The Realms of Formlessness is made up of four Heavens, from the Hao Ting Xiao Du Heaven (皓庭霄度天) to the Xiu Le Zhi Shang Heaven (秀乐禁上天). In this Realm there is neither desire nor form; common people cannot see the people in this Realm, it can be seen only by Perfect Men, Immortals.

Outside of the Three Realms, the heavens can be divided into several levels including the Four Pure Heavens, the Three Pure Heavens (三清 - San Qing) and the Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天 - Da Luo Tian).

The Four Pure Heavens are also called the Four Heavens of the Seed People, from the Wu Shang Chang Rong Heaven (无上常融天) to the Ping Yu Jia Yi Heaven (平育贾奕天). They are called the Four Heavens of the Seed People (种民 - Zhong Min) because those who enter this realm have already escaped from the cycle of reincarnations; at the time of a Kalpa, they do not die but become the seeds of the people of the next Kalpa.

The Three Pure Heavens (三清 - San Qing) are also called the Three Pure/Pristine Realms (三清境 - San Qing Jing) , and are governed by the Supreme Venerable Sovereign (太上老君 - Tai Shang Lao Jun). The Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天 - Da Luo Heaven) is above all other Heavens and en-globes the entire universe. It is infinite, and contains the Jade Capital Mountain(玉京山 Yujing Shan) where the Primeval Lord of Heaven (原始天尊 - Yuan Shi Tian Zun) - ( 太上老君 Tai Shang Lao Jun) resides.

Outside of the Three Realms, everything is pure Vital Breath of Dao. All is formless and invisible; it is the abode of the Immortals (神仙 - Shen Xian). When they unite together they become forms; when they disperse they become Vital Breath; self-dependent, they wander about unfettered. In the Great Overarching Heaven, all is Pure Vital Breath (道氣 - Dao Qi). The Highest level of Cultivation of Immortality is the level of the Golden Immortality (金仙 - Jin Xian) of the Great Overarching Heaven (大罗天 - Da Luo Tian).

Note that the San Qing(三清) - San Qing - Three Pure Ones), which consist the Yuan Shi Tian Zun (元始天尊), Ling Bao Tian Zun (灵宝天尊) and Dao De Tian Zun (道德天尊) - Tai Shang Lao Jun (太上老君), are the highest divine in Taoism, and they are the Great Tao in divine forms.

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